As presented by retired football player George Visger at the Second Annual Independent Football Veterans Conference held April 20 -22 2012 in Las Vegas at the South Point Resort.

1. NFL Caused TBI:
Treatment &Recovery of
9 Emergency VP Shunt Brain Surgeries
A 31 Year Odyssey
by George Visger
San Francisco 49ers
1980 &1981

2. This is YOUR Brain

3. This Is MY Brain On Football

4. Traumatic Brain Injuries
“A Traumatic Brain Injury is like
throwing a rock in a pond. The ripple
effect as to the number of people
affected is huge.”
George Visger
1986
Workers Compensation Hearing

5. TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury
• Mild if loss of consciousness and/or
confusion and disorientation is less
than 30 minutes.
• “Don’t worry, you’re only
mildlybrain damaged”
• 15% have symptoms > 1 year
• Post concussive syndrome

6. Symptoms Of TBI
Post Concussive Syndrome
• Fatigue ✓✓(✓)
• Headaches✓✓(✓)
• Visual disturbances – sensitivity to
light✓✓(✓)
• Memory loss✓✓✓✓(✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓)
• Poor attention/concentration✓✓✓(✓✓)
• Sleep disturbances✓✓✓(✓✓✓✓✓)
• Irritability-emotional
disturbances✓(✓✓✓✓✓)
• Seizures✓✓
• Loss of motivation✓

7. Hydrocephalus Symptoms
• 1981 – August
• Major headaches, projectile
vomitingpartial loss of visionandhearing
nightly
• Diagnosed as high blood pressure by
team doctor –diuretics for 17 days
• September - Focal point paralysis of right
arm, diagnosed with brain hemorrhage
in locker room, emergency brain surgery

9. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
• 1981 – September. Hydrocephalus – first
brain surgery during Super Bowl season.
• 1982 – May. Arrested 3Xs since first
surgery, all after drinking a few beers.
• 1982 – May. Second & third brain
surgeries 10 hrs apart. Given last rites &
hospital bills. Gran mal seizures, coma
and placed on Dilantin.
• 1982 – May. Tested for brain seizures
from alcohol. Major seizures after two
beers but functioning fine. Quit drinking.

10. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
• Battled creditors till 1986 for payment of
2nd& 3rd brain surgeries.
• 1985 – Two additional knee surgeries
• 1986 – Won Work Comp case & returned
to school to complete my biology degree.
• 1986 – 1987 - Four brain surgeries, and
two gran mal seizuresin10 - month period
• 1987 - 55 minute gran-mal seizure in
Organic Chemistry 2 days post brain
surgery # 6. Developed dyslexia.

11. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
(and other maladies)
• 1990 – December. Headache Clinic for
headaches, lack of memory, increasing
irritability and short tempered.
• 1990 – May. Completed Biology degree
• 1991 – December- VP shunt surgery # 8
• 1993 - December – Major headaches,
Headache clinic

12. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
(and other maladies)
• 1995 - Major headaches neck pain. CT scan
.
• 1998 – December. Gran mal seizure at
work. Began taking 150 mg
Phenobarbital/day. Shunt-o-gram. Radio
isotope shot into spinal cord instead of
shunt (nice shot Doc.)
• 1998 – December 18. Shunt-o-gram radio
• 1998 – December 21. Shunt-o-gram radio
isotope, examined for possible shunt
infection
• (What is the relationship of December?)

13. Coma/Seizure/Brain Surgery History
(and other maladies)
• 2000 - Dr. Vijayan anger management issues
• 2004 – Continuing on Phenobarb, memory
issues more noticeable.
• 2005 – October. Right arm clumsy & numb,
top right foot numb. Arm numbness went
away but numbness in foot remains.
• 2006 – April. Back pain, irritability and
anger management issues, numbness right
foot, memory problems.

14. Prescription/Supplement History
• 1982 - 1993 Dilantin for seizures – short term memory loss
• 1993 – 1998 Stopped taking Dilantin due to side effects
• 1998 Major seizure. Placed on Depacote – esophageal ulcers
• 2003 Phenobarbital - lethargic
• 2006 Kepra –short term memory issues (Lexapro for memory)
• 2007 Zonegram – short term memory issues (Lexapro)
• 2009 Lamictil – minimal side effects, Ambien for insomnia,
(Lexapro)
• 2009 12 – 18 gm/day of Dr. Sears Omega 3 fish oils, and
SeaHealth Plus antioxidants. BeganHBOT treatments
• 2010 Resperdal, Lexapro, Aricept and Namenda for memory,
Lamictil for seizures, Ambien for sleep. Disoriented, lost,
vomiting 4-5X/day, dizzy. Told to get my finances in order
• 2011 Quit all drugs except Lamictil. Suddenly can think again.

15. Treatments/Test Results
• 2008 – April 1. MRI of cervical spine. Degeneration of
discs at C-3, 4, 5 & 6
• 2009 – July. Anger management issues, referred to
Amen Clinic (fought Workers Comp until October to be
seen)
• 2009 – October. Began Dr. Sears Omega 3’s and
SeaHealth plus antioxidants to reduce inflammation
• 2009 – October. Three-day neurological eval Dr. Amen’s.
Micro-cog memory test = 56, SPECT = major damage to a
number of areas, early stages of CTE, rated me 80%
disabled. Recommended Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments
and Omega 3s.

16. Treatments/Test Results
• 2009 – October. Dr Amen #1 (3 day).
Microcog test= 57
• 2009 – November. Began Hyperbaric Oxygen
Treatment (HBOT) 1 hr/day @ 1.5 atm
• 2010 – July. Dr Amen # 2 after 40th HBOT.
Micro-cog test # 2 score 56 (no sleep).
• 2011 – January. Dr Amen # 3 after 80 HBOTs.
Micro-cog test # 3 = 59
• 2011 – Sept. Dr Amen # 4 after 90 HBOTs.
Micro-cog test # 4 = 64 (14% increase in memory)

17. Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment
(HBOT) Benefits
• Improves cellular metabolism
• Increases ATP production
• Reactivates mitochondria
• Stops apoptosis (programmed cell
death)
• Reactivates neurogenesis in neural
stem and progenitor cells.
• Validated by SPECT scan, performance
tests and behavior reports.

18. Hyperbaric Oxygen
Treatment Benefits
• Acute and chronic stages.
• Acute (1 to 6 hours post-incident),
ameliorates inflammatory response
and reprofusion.
• Prevents edema (swelling).
• Promotes new neuron growth
• Repairs damaged cells

19. HBOT Benefits
• Short-term 1 - 15 treatments
• Reawakens stunned cells – reduces free
radicals, reactivation of mitochondria
• Stops cell death (apoptosis) and long-term
atrophy
• Growth of new neurons (neurogenesis) and
dendritic sprouting
• IMPACT measures improve: short-term
memory, executive function, response time.
• SPECT shows apparent normalization of brain
function

20. HBOT Benefits
• Long-term, usually up to 80 treatments over a
period of 6 months.
• Stem cell mobilization up to 800%.
• Continued mitochondria repopulation, dendritic
sprouting and neuronal cell increase.
• Permanent improvement in brain activity
validated by functional imaging (SPECT scans)
• Permanent behavioral changes in memory,
executive and motor functions

21. Coping Mechanisms
• Notebooks – write down everything
• Post-Its
• Beeper on computer (2 wks, 1 wk,
5,4,3,2,1 day, 4,3,2,1 hr, 30,15,5
minutes prior to appointment)
• Beeper on my phone
• Don’t be shy - let people know you have
a memory deficit.

22. Coping Mechanisms
• Bring spouse or other w/
questions.
• Draft questions day before Drs
appt.
• Dyslexia. Double, triple check your
work. Step away&clear your mind
for a few minutes/hrs before
checking again.
• Can be triggered by standard 60 Hz
electrical.

23. Coping Mechanisms
• Work Comp. CA allows filing even if not a CA
team.
• Vocational Rehab.
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments (first time I
have improved in decades). Have your doctor
write a prescription.
• Omega 3 fish oils (DHA and EPA acids). Dr.
Barry Sears Omega 3s. Purified.
• Anti oxidants to reduce inflammation. Dr. Sears
SeaHealth Plus.

24. Coping Mechanisms
• Neuro-plasticity – can grow new
neurons = neurogenesis.
• If right handed, eat with left hand
• Kids memory games.
• Read
• Work your brain like your muscles.

25. George Visger
E-book
• OUT OF MY HEAD: My Life In and Out of
Football is available on Amazon Kindle
for $2.99 at this link:
http://amzn.to/znZuiL.
• Can order a plain PDF file of the e-book
by sending $2.99 via PayPal to
paypal@muchnick.net